Senator Chris Evans: The Minister for Defencehas provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: Major Surface Combatants and Amphibious Ships: (1) to (3) During the period 1 July to 31 December 2011 the operational availability status of Surface Force naval vessels is summarised in the table below. HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment Frigates Darwin 01 Jul – 31 Dec Melbourne 01 Jul – 31 Dec Newcastle 01 Jul – 31 Dec Sydney 01 Jul – 31 Dec Anzac 11 Jul – 31Dec 01 Jul – 10 Jul Extended Readiness. Insufficient qualified marine technician (MT) sailors Arunta 01 Jul – 31 Dec Extended Readiness. Insufficient qualified MT sailors Ballarat 01 Jul – 17 Jul 24 Jul – 31 Dec 18 Jul –23 Jul Unscheduled defect rectification Parramatta 01 Jul – 17 Jul 29 Jul – 04 Aug 15 Aug – 31 Dec 18 Jul – 28 Jul 05 Aug – 14 Aug Unscheduled defect rectification Perth 01 Jul – 31 Dec Stuart 01 Jul – 4 Sep 5 Sep – 31 Dec Extended Readiness. Insufficient qualified MT sailors Toowoomba 01 Jul – 31 Dec Warramunga 03 Jul – 31 Dec 01 Jul – 03 Jul Unscheduled defect rectification Afloat Support Ships Success 01 Jul – 09 Sep 10 Sep – 31 Dec Unscheduled defect rectification and maintenance Sirius 01 Jul – 12 Aug 24 Aug – 27 Aug 31 Aug – 31 Dec 13 Aug – 23 Aug 28 Aug – 30 Aug Unscheduled defect rectification Amphibious Ships Kanimbla 1 Jul – 25 Nov Operational Pause Decommissioned 25 Nov 11 Tobruk 01 Jul – 31 Jul05 Sep – 30 Oct 8 Nov – 31 Dec 01 Aug – 4 Sep 31 Oct – 7 Nov Unscheduled Defect Rectification Choules 14 Oct – 31 Dec Balikpapan 01 Jul – 31 Dec Betano 01 Jul – 16 Oct 20 Oct – 31 Dec 17 Oct – 19 Oct Unscheduled Defect Rectification Brunei 01 Jul – 31 Dec Labuan 01 Jul – 31 Dec Tarakan 01 Jul – 31 Dec Wewak 01 Jul – 31 Dec (4) Excluding HMA Ships Anzac/Stuart and Arunta, which were de-crewed at different stages of the second half of 2011, the operational manning strengths in the Navy's crewed Surface Force vessels during the period were as follows: (a) Ninety six per cent crewed with engineering officers and 92 per cent crewed with engineer sailors; and (b) Ninety six per cent crewed with non-engineering officers and 90 per cent crewed with non-engineer sailors. Submarines: (1) to (3) During the period 1 July to 31 December 2011 the operational availability status of Submarine Force vessels is summarised in the attached table. HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment Collins 01 Jul – 9 Jul 24 Oct – 31 Dec 10 Jul – 23 Oct In scheduled certification extension docking (CED)maintenance Growth in CED Maintenance Dechaineaux 01 Jul – 4 Aug 10 Aug - 31 Dec 05 - 09 Aug Unscheduled maintenance Farncomb 01 Jul – 31 Dec Waller 01 Jul – 3 Jul 14Sep - 31 Dec 04 Jul – 13 Sep In scheduled mid-cycle docking (commenced ahead of schedule) Sheean 1 Jul – 31 Dec In scheduled full cycle docking throughout Rankin 1 Jul – 31 Dec In scheduled full cycle docking throughout (4) The operational manning strengths in the Navy's Submarine Force during the period were: (a) One hundred per cent crewed with engineer officers and 95 percent crewed with engineer sailors; and (b) Ninety per cent crewed with non-engineer officers and 97 percent crewed with non-engineer sailors. Mine Hunting and Clearance Diving Forces: (1) to (3) During the period 1 July to 31 December 2011 the operational availability status of Mine Hunting and Clearance Diving Force are summarised in the attached table: HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment Mine Hunter Coastal Diamantina 01 Jul – 31 Dec Gascoyne 01 Jul – 31 Dec Huon 01 Jul – 31 Dec Yarra 01 Jul – 31 Dec Hawkesbury 01 Jul – 31 Dec Government approved placing this vessel at extended readiness availability (de-crewed.) from December 2009. Norman 01 Jul -31 Dec Government approved placing this vessel at extended readiness availability (de-crewed.) from December 2009. Mine Sweeping Auxiliary Wallaroo 13 Jul -15 Aug 01 Jul – 12 Jul 16 Aug – 31 Dec This vessel was placed on short-term reactive notice for sea from October 2010 for nuclear powered warship (NPW) support duties (de-crewed.) The in 'operating cycle dates' relate to activation for NPW duties Bandicoot 01 Jul – 31 Dec This vessel was placed on short-term reactive notice for sea from October 2010 for NPW)support duties (de-crewed.) Australian Clearance Diving Teams One 01 Jul – 31 Dec Four 01 Jul – 31 Dec (4) The operational manning strengths in the Navy's Mine Hunting Force vessels (with the exception of Hawkesbury and Norman in Extended Readiness Availability) during the period were: (a) Manning for all Mine Counter Measures (MCM) platforms was commensurate with tasking requirements. Mine Hunters were 98.6 per cent crewed with engineering officers (roles are performed by Chief Petty Officer marine technicians borne as senior technical officers) and 87.5 per cent crewed with engineering sailors. Engineering Department consists of both mechanical and electrical technicians; the majority of engineering manning shortfalls came from the Electrical Technician Branch. Mine Sweeper Auxiliary Wallaroo was commensurate with tasking requirements as of July 2011 at 7 days notice for sea, 100 per cent crewed with engineering officers roles (performed by Petty Officer marine technicians borne as senior technical officers) and 100 per cent crewed with engineering sailors. (b) Due to an extant deficiency in qualified mine warfare and clearance diving officers, the Mine Hunters were manned with 83 per cent of the required skill set. Supplementation of the qualification requirements was achieved through the use of mine warfare officers and Australian Naval reserves. Non-engineering departments were manned with 93 per cent skill set required to achieve necessary tasks. Hydrographic Forces: (1) to (3) During the period 01 July to 31 December 2011 the operational availability status of Hydrographic Forces is summarised in the attached table: HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment Leeuwin 19 Jul – 14 Aug 19 Aug – 31 Aug 05 Sep – 14 Sep 18 Sep – 31 Dec 01 Jul – 18 Jul 15 Aug – 18 Aug 01 Sep – 04 Sep 15 Sep – 17 Sep 11 Nov – 28 Nov Unscheduled defect rectification Melville 01 Jul – 31 Dec Paluma 01 Jul – 31 Dec Benalla 01 Jul–31 Dec Shepparton 01 Jul – 18 Aug 23 Aug – 11 Sep 01 Oct – 16 Oct 09 Nov – 12 Dec 19 Aug - 22 Aug 12 Sep - 30 Sep 17 Oct - 08 Nov 13 Dec – 31 Dec Unscheduled defect rectification Temporary personnel deficiencies due to undiagnosed virus with ship remaining alongside. Mermaid 08 Jul – 31 Dec 01 Jul – 07 Jul Unscheduled defect rectification Note: Shepparton lost 22 days due to an undiagnosed viral -like illness that infected many of the crew and key command members. Appropriate health measures were taken including not exposing operational reliefs to the illness and therefore the ship was kept alongside until key personnel were fit for sea. The ship remained fully crewed, but remained alongside to ensure full and expeditious recovery of crew from illness. (4) The operational manning strengths in the Navy's hydrographic vessels during the period were: (a) Hydrographic units were 100 per cent crewed with engineer officers and 100 per cent crewed with Engineer Sailors (b) Hydrographic units were 100 per cent crewed with non-engineer officers and 100 per cent crewed with non-engineer sailors. Patrol Boat Force: (1) to (3) During the period 1 July to 31 December 2011 the operational availability status of Patrol Boat Force vessels is summarised in the attached table. HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment HMA Ship Operationally Available Not Operationally Available Comment Armidale 01 Jul – 14 Aug 20Aug – 21Aug 19 Sep – 25 Sep 03 Oct – 09 Oct 12 Oct – 07 Nov 11 Nov – 31 Dec 15 Aug – 19 Aug 22 Aug – 18 Sep 26 Sep – 02 Oct 10 Oct – 11 Oct 08 Nov – 10 Nov Unscheduled defect rectification Larrakia 01 Jul – 04 Dec 07 Dec – 31 Dec 05 Dec – 06 Dec Unscheduled defect rectification Bathurst 01 Jul – 28 Nov 05 Dec – 11 Dec 19 Dec – 31 Dec 29 Nov – 04 Dec 12 Dec – 18 Dec Unscheduled defect rectification Albany 01 Jul – 04 Sep 06 Sep – 31 Dec 05 Sep – 05 Sep Unscheduled defect rectification Pirie 01 Jul – 31 Dec Maitland 01 Jul – 31 Dec Ararat 16 Oct – 31 Dec 01 Jul – 27 Sep 28 Sep – 15 Oct Planned operational release docking to rectify latent defects from build and achieve delivery baseline Unscheduled defect rectification Broome 01 Jul – 17 Jul 06 Oct – 31 Dec 18 Jul – 03 Oct 03 Oct – 05 Oct Planned operational release docking to rectify latent defects from build and achieve delivery baseline Unscheduled defect rectification Bundaberg 01 Jul – 06 Aug 09 Aug – 04 Sep 03 Oct – 31 Dec 07 Aug – 08 Aug 05 Sep – 26 Sep 28 Sep – 02 Oct Unscheduled defect rectification Planned operational release docking to rectify latent defects from build and achieve delivery baseline Wollongong 01 Jul – 31 Dec Childers 01 Jul – 31 Dec Launceston 01 Jul – 19 Sep 17 Dec – 31 Dec 20 Sep –25 Sep 26 Sep – 17 Dec Unscheduled defect rectification Planned operational release docking to rectify latent defects from build and achieve delivery baseline Maryborough 01 Jul – 31 Dec Glenelg 01 Jul – 14 Sep 30 Sep – 31 Dec 15 Sep – 29 Sep Unscheduled defect rectification (4) The operational manning strength in the Navy's Patrol Boat Force during the period was: (a) 92.5 per cent crewed with engineer officers and 88.3 per cent crewed with engineer sailors; and (b) 98 per cent crewed with non-engineer officers and 89.1 per cent crewed with non-engineer sailors.